Overview
- BBC Studios announced the one‑week suspension on Saturday after Val Chmerkovskiy posted a now‑deleted TikTok that read “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” a line widely read as referencing Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars altercation.
- The post followed judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s on‑air reading of the show’s lift definition during the Oct. 13 Super Bowl Night critique of Jenna Johnson, which set off the immediate dispute that Chmerkovskiy appeared to defend.
- Chmerkovskiy issued a public apology and said he reached out privately to Inaba, calling his remark poor judgment and saying he did not want to distract from his partner Jenna Dewan’s performance.
- Producers confirmed Jenna Dewan will still compete on Dedication Night on Oct. 20 and that Alan Bersten, who was eliminated earlier in the season, will fill in as her pro partner for the week.
- BBC Studios said the decision was made to protect staff well‑being and uphold conduct standards, a move that highlights increasing scrutiny of cast social posts and could reshape how the show polices behavior going forward.